Editors' Picks: Our Favorite African Safaris

These hotels—all on our 2018 Gold List—reflect the pulse of Africa, where the wild things roam right outside your door and you're lulled to sleep by the sound of grunting hippos.

A few nights in the bush are going to be memorable no matter what, but the right property—in a spot-on location with expertly trained guides, good community relations, and spaces that enchant during the idle hours between game drives—can make your trip lifechanging. What comes to mind are places that plunk you into IMAX-like ecosystems, such as the sleek

Sirikoi Lodge , with its family-gathered heirlooms, without feeling linked to the land’s history—and to its future, thanks to the exceptional rhino conservation work on Kenya’s Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

Bisate Lodge in Rwanda connect deeply with the local community, for whom safari tourism presents a new economy beyond subsistence. Then there are the places that completely channel the soul of their surroundings. Consider Tanzania’s